Traditionally, endless belt under-carrier conveyors have been utilized to convey chopped cane or bagasse from one mill to another during the refinement of sugar cane. While top carrier conveyors had been attempted in the past, they utilized traditional endless belt conveyor designs, and tended to clog and require high maintenance, due particularly to the fibrous cane material which was conveyed, which tended to clog and become impacted into the mechanism in various places, and freezing same. Further, past top carrier conveyor designs had limitations as to the angle of operation, as the chopped cane would roll back or spill during operation.
A list of prior patents which may be pertinent to the present invention is set forth below:
______________________________________ Patent Number Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 42,963 Newton 06/14/1881 492,751 Ross 02/28/1893 1,053,209 Neuman 02/18/1913 2,105,610 O'Brien 01/18/1938 2,167,818 Wagner 09/01/1939 2,365,762 Johns et al. 12/26/1944 2,430,282 Ensinger 11/04/1947 3,306,218 Reeves 02/28/1967 3,407,918 Clarke 10/29/1968 3,464,538 Hartmann 09/02/1969 3,515,256 Martin et al. 06/02/1970 3,532,367 Stancari 10/06/1970 3,595,379 Campbell 07/27/1971 3,756,382 Adey, Jr et al. 09/04/1973 4,147,557 Mayo 04/03/1979 4,321,996 Sancken et al 03/30/1982 4,660,367 Kawarabashi 03/28/1987 4,763,774 Johansson 08/16/1988 4,815,580 Schanz et al. 03/28/1989 4,989,727 Gordon 02/05/1991 5,137,144 Uehara 08/11/1992 5,350,050 Franke 09/27/1994 5,514,280 Mott 10/13/1992 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,996 issued 1982 to an Illinois applicant, and assigned to A. O. Smith Harvester Products, Inc., contemplates a cleated belt forage conveyor configured to prevent spillover, while preventing jamming via the utilization of vibrating deflector plates and the like. This patent is significant in that it teaches an undercarriage and carry back pan pertinent to the present searched for invention, in conjunction with laterally situated, generally evenly spaced belt cleats or treads. See, for example, FIG. 5 of the patent.
Further, '996 further contemplates the utilization of side walls to prevent spillage. The '996 patent is configured for conveying agricultural forage from a lower gravity feed arrangement, upward at an angle to discharge via gravity into a hopper or the like (FIG. 1).
U.S. Pat. No. 242,963 illustrates a "Cotton Elevator" issued 1881 comprising a high angle, endless belt conveyor having slats (M) and side walls (A'), as well as a hopper (H) for catching and retaining cotton seed, under the conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 492,751 contemplates a "Carrier Attachment" dated 1893, for conveying feed or the like, utilizing an endless belt under carrier configuration. (FIG. 10).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,918 issued 1968 teaches an "Apparatus for breaking up and conveying fibrous textile materials" at a relatively high angle from a horizontal conveyor to a hopper or chute. The system teaches an endless belt having intermittently displaced thereupon slats and claws or the like, with side walls along said belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,105,610 issued 1938 teaches an "Automatic bagger and loader" comprising an endless belt conveyer having cross bars thereon, the conveyor disposed at about a 45 degree angle (apparently adjustable), a hopper gravity feed at its lower point, and discharge chute about its upper point. The system contemplates the utilization of side walls to prevent spillage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,557, issued 1979 teaches a "Method and apparatus for feeding a sugar cane mill", teaching an under carry conveyor for conveying bagasse from one mill to the next.
The inventor is also aware that mechanical conveyors utilizing chain driven, slat and sprocket arrangements have been utilized for conveying sugar cane during the refining process for over 100 years.
Clearly, one can discern, based upon the above patents, that the prior art has not particularly taught or disclosed a conveyor system which can consistently and without clogging lift fibrous material such as chopped cane, bagasse, or the like at a relatively high angle.